Iran agrees to delay reopening of nuclear facility by 2 days

International Herald Tribune:

TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2005

ISFAHAN, Iran Iran agreed Monday to a two-day delay in reopening its nuclear processing plant here after receiving a request from the head of the United Nations' atomic watchdog agency.

Mohammed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, asked for a "maximum of two days" to send its inspectors to Iran's nuclear facility, where they can oversee the breaking of UN seals, said Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Earlier, Mohammadi said Iranian technicians would break the seals and restart nuclear processing Monday. He said the combination of restraint and resolve toward restarting uranium processing showed the government's intention not to squander Iran's fundamental right to nuclear power, while preserving close ties to Europe.

"Our people were worried that the government may have done a deal with the Europeans and given up the rights of the nation," Mohammadi said. "We will do the rest of the work in coordination with the Europeans."

ElBaradei warned Iran "not to take any action that might prejudice the process at this critical stage."

European Union negotiators have said they are mere days from delivering a package of incentives addressing security, political, economic and nuclear issues.

"I also call on Iran not to take any unilateral action that could undermine the agency inspection process at a time when the agency is making steady progress in resolving outstanding issues," ElBaradei said.

Iran's earlier announcement to allow uranium processing to resume was a setback to efforts by Britain, Germany and France, which have been negotiating with Tehran to persuade Iran to drop its enrichment program in return for incentives.

In its letter to the IAEA, Tehran said its "sincere efforts and maximum flexibility" were being answered with an EU proposal that it rejected as "totally unacceptable."

"The proposal not only fails to address Iran's rights for peaceful development of nuclear technology, but even falls far short of correcting the illegal and unjustified restrictions placed on Iran's economic and technological development, let alone providing firm guarantees for economic, technological and nuclear cooperation and firm commitments on security issues," the Iranians said.

Reprocessing uranium is a step below uranium enrichment, which is to remain suspended, said Mohammadi. The United States claims the Iranian nuclear program is designed to produce weapons, a claim Iran denies. Iran maintains its suspension of uranium enrichment in November was voluntary and that it had the right to resume the activities.

The Isfahan plant can convert uranium ore concentrate, known as yellowcake, into uranium gas, the feedstock for enrichment.

Iranian officials made it clear that they would resume the more important step of actual enrichment - injecting uranium gas into centrifuges used to enrich uranium - in a separate plant in Natanz, central Iran.

Uranium enriched to high levels can be used for nuclear bombs; at low levels it is used as fuel for electricity-producing nuclear power plants.

EU negotiations threatened

Graham Bowley of the International Herald Tribune reported from London: The worsening of relations with Iran would potentially be a severe blow for the EU, which has insisted on finding a negotiated solution to the impasse over Iran's nuclear activities.

The French Foreign Ministry said in a briefing Monday that the proposals would be presented before Aug. 7. It said the EU would continue to abide by the Paris agreement of November 2004 and with agreements struck at the meeting between Iranian and European officials in Geneva on May 25.

"These proposals are generous and open the way to new relations between Iran and Europe," it said.

A spokesman for the European Commission, Stefaan de Rynck, said Monday that the European Commission continued to insist on a negotiated solution.

"No steps should be taken over the coming days that endanger a negotiated solution," he said, in a statement that appeared to be aimed at Iran but also at any overreaction from the three European countries negotiating with Iran.

He warned Iran that any breakdown in talks jeopardized the future of a trade and cooperation agreement, currently being negotiated between the commission and Iran. The agreement depends "on the broader political picture between Germany, France, and Britain, and Iran," he said.